PITTSBURGH - Rookie Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson was selected today by Swedish coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson to represent the defending Olympic gold medal champions at the upcoming Winter Games in February.
New York Rangers all-star Henrik Lundqvist, the man who backstopped Sweden to the title in Turin, Italy almost four years ago, will be the starter. Stefan Liv, who plays for HV 71 of the Swedish elite league and was a member of that 2006 Olympic championship team, rounds out the goaltending corps.
In 21 appearances for the Leafs this season, Gustavsson is 7-6-7 with a respectable 2.86 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
Thirteen players return from the gold-medal winning team including long-time stars Nick Lidstrom and Peter Forsberg.
Here is a look at the roster for Team Sweden:
Goalkeepers:
Jonas Gustavsson (Toronto Maple Leafs/NHL), Stefan Liv (HV 71), Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers/NHL)
Defenders:
Tobias Enstrom (Atlanta Thrashers/NHL), Magnus Johansson (Linkopings HC), Niklas Kronwall (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Douglas Murray (San Jose Sharks/NHL), Johnny Oduya (New Jersey Devils/NHL), Henrik Tallinder (Buffalo Sabres/NHL), Mattias Ohlund (Tampa Bay Lightning/NHL)
Forwards:
Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators/NHL), Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals/NHL), Loui Eriksson (Dallas Stars/NHL), Peter Forsberg (MODO Hockey), Tomas Holmstrom (Detroit Red Wings/NHL), Patric Hornqvist (Nashville Predators/NHL), Fredrik Modin (Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL), Samuel Paahlsson (Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL), Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks/NHL), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks/NHL), Mattias Weinhandl (Dynamo Moscow/RUS), Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings/NHL)
